Marinated Mozzarella Balls

These marinated mozzarella balls are a quick and easy party appetizer! Coated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs, they're full of rich flavor.

These marinated mozzarella balls are quickly becoming a family favorite snack. I love them because they’re the perfect last-minute appetizer for gatherings—flavorful, elegant, and SO easy to throw together. Jack and Ollie love them…well…because they love anything with cheese. The recipe is super simple. I marinate mini fresh mozzarella balls in olive oil with herbs, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. The bright, savory flavor of the fresh garlic, lemon, and herbs saturates the oil, which in turn soaks into the chewy balls of cheese. I hope these marinated mozzarella balls become your go-to appetizer for parties and gatherings,…

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Marinated Gigante Beans

These marinated gigante beans are a delicious appetizer or lunch! Olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and herbs infuse them with savory flavor.

This marinated gigante beans recipe is an easy, delicious kitchen staple. A flavorful blend of olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest, and parsley coats the big, creamy white beans. They’re rich, tangy, and intensely savory. Try them once, and you’ll make them on repeat for picnics, appetizer platters, and protein-packed lunches. Before I developed this recipe, I regularly bought marinated gigante beans from the olive bar at my grocery store. I loved the taste, but I was always disappointed by their mushy texture. These homemade marinated gigante beans solve that problem. Made with good-quality canned beans or dried beans…

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Cowboy Caviar

Made with black-eyed peas, black beans, and veggies, this cowboy caviar is an easy, fresh, and flavorful dip. It'll be a hit at your next potluck or party!

Cowboy caviar is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! This zesty dip is made with black-eyed peas, beans, sweet corn, and other veggies. It’s fresh, tangy, and perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips. This cowboy caviar recipe is super easy to make, and it tastes better if you make it ahead. If you don’t already have a signature dish that you bring to potlucks, cookouts, and other get-togethers, you might have found it. Cowboy Caviar Recipe Ingredients You only need a few simple ingredients to make this cowboy caviar recipe: Black beans and black-eyed peas – They make up the bulk of this…

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Pico De Gallo

Learn how to make pico de gallo! This easy recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients. Enjoy it as a dip with tortilla chips or on any Mexican dish.

Learn how to make pico de gallo! I’m sharing my classic pico de gallo recipe below, plus tips to give it the best flavor. If you’re new to making salsa, pico de gallo is a great place to start. It gives you a lot of bang for your buck, because even though it’s zesty and flavorful, it’s SO easy. You don’t need any special equipment—just a cutting board and a good knife—and the ingredient list is short and sweet. Try this fresh salsa once, and I think it’ll become a staple in your kitchen. How to Make Pico de Gallo…

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50 Easy Appetizer Recipes

These easy appetizers will be a hit at your next party! They include delicious dips, fun finger foods, and other crowd-pleasing snacks that guests will love.

All our best appetizers, all in one place! If you’re hosting a party or looking for a dish to bring to one, I promise—these easy appetizer recipes will not disappoint. They range from indulgent dips to bite-sized finger foods, gorgeous snack boards, and baked treats. These appetizers are the nibbles and bites that I love to serve when I’m entertaining. They’re simple to make (and often make ahead) and easy to serve (bonus points if you don’t need utensils!). But most importantly, they’re fun and delicious. They keep the prep straightforward for you while delivering big, bold flavors for guests.…

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Deviled Eggs

Learn how to make deviled eggs with this easy recipe! Made with basic ingredients like mayo and mustard, they're creamy, tangy, and always a hit.

The best deviled eggs are easy to make. You just need 6 basic ingredients: hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. If you like, you can add a dash of hot sauce or a pinch of paprika to kick the flavors up a notch. But without them, your deviled eggs will still be delicious. Because classic deviled eggs are so tasty AND so simple, they’re a perfect appetizer for Easter, the holidays, parties…any occasion, really. I’m sharing my favorite deviled eggs recipe below, plus tips and variations so that you can make it your own. I can’t…

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Dumpling Soup

Made with frozen potstickers, fresh veggies, and a fragrant broth, this dumpling soup recipe is a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight dinner.

This dumpling soup recipe has a not-so-secret ingredient: frozen potstickers! They make this soup supremely quick and easy. It’s just the thing for nights when you’re really craving the comfort and convenience of takeout, but you somehow convince yourself to cook dinner anyway. And if you cook this dumpling soup, you’ll be glad you did! The potstickers and veggies float in a fragrant broth that’s spiked with garlic, tamari, and lots of fresh ginger. It’s warming and flavorful, and the fact that it comes together in under 30 minutes only makes it taste better. This dumpling soup has been one…

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Quesadilla Recipe

Quesadillas are a quick, easy, and delicious meal! I fill mine with cheese and veggies, but feel free to customize this recipe with your favorite fillings.

Quesadillas! They’re delicious, satisfying, and—most importantly—EASY. They’re one of my favorite back-pocket meals, something I can whip up using basic ingredients when I need a simple dinner or work-from-home lunch. I’ve made a lot of them over the years, and I’ve learned some handy tips and tricks for making them along the way. I’m sharing them all in this quesadilla recipe! What is a quesadilla? A quesadilla is Mexican dish that consists of a heated, filled, and folded tortilla. Quesadillas originated in central and southern Mexico, and they were first made with corn tortillas and filled with Oaxaca cheese. (The…

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Best Bean Dip

This refried bean dip is creamy, cheesy, and easy to make! Serve it warm with tortilla chips for a delicious party appetizer or game day snack.

This bean dip recipe is the ultimate party appetizer! It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, and it’s perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips. Just make sure to hit up the snack table right after it comes out of the oven. This bean dip disappears QUICK! And I haven’t told you the best part yet: this bean dip recipe is easy to make. It calls for refried beans (you can use canned or homemade), so instead of blending the dip in a food processor, you can simply stir it together in a bowl. Spread it in a baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese,…

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40 Best Super Bowl Food Ideas

The best part of Super Bowl Sunday? The snacks! Below, you'll find easy Super Bowl food ideas to help you make a crowd-pleasing game day spread.

Super Bowl snacks are the best part of any Super Bowl party! Ok, for some people, the football is a highlight too, but I think we can all agree that the snacks are still important. To help you celebrate this year’s big game, I’ve rounded up my best Super Bowl food ideas below. They include everything you need to put together an epic game day spread—finger foods, delicious dips, salty snacks, desserts, and more. These Super Bowl recipes are easy, flavorful, and—most importantly—fun. Whether you’re tuning in for the halftime show, the commercials, or the game itself, they’ll make your Super…

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Focaccia Bread

Even bread beginners can pull off this homemade focaccia recipe! Topped with olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt, it's SO delicious and easy to make.

This focaccia recipe is our favorite bread to bake at home. We love it because it’s soft and pillowy in the middle, crisp and golden around the edges, and filled with rich flavor from olive oil and sea salt. And that’s just the start! The #1 reason we love this focaccia recipe is that it’s so easy to make.  When Jack first started baking bread (15+ years ago now!), he made lots of rustic ciabatta loaves. The ingredients were simple, and the bread came out delicious, but it required hours of rising and precise kneading. So when we discovered how…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.